Abstract Human vulnerability to hazards is generated from the interaction of the physical and human environment and interventions made to cope with hazards. To intervene with a hazard, the event or its consequences may be prevented or mitigated. The main aim of the study was to show how differences in perception influences adjustments made to cope with floods. Two towns in the savannah region which have been identified as highly vulnerable to flooding due to their history of flooding were selected as case study. The analysis showed that most of the respondents perceived flood risk as natural. Their perception of the causes and impacts of floods varies by gender, ethnicity and spatial location and affects the strategies used to intervene. The study concludes that deeper understanding of how perception and demographic characteristics combine to influence a group’s level of vulnerability would be beneficial in establishing more effective interventions to reduce human vulnerability.